Don't have the right tools for your project? The Makers Hub in Compton has you covered

You might be handy with a tool, but don't have the tools you need handy. The Makers Hub in Compton opened this summer for residents who aren't short on ideas or desire, they just need the resources and opportunity.

The Makers Hub is a non-profit tool library, but it began as an idea for a Makers Space - an area where creators like small business owner Alex Maker have opportunity and equipment to make their dreams a reality.

"It's really life-changing. It really has put me on a different path in life. I went from totally useless and feeling unappreciated to having purpose again... It really has brought my life in a full circle," explained Maker.

The Makers Space provides room to work, but the Makers Hub offers the tools - hundreds of them, for virtually any job imaginable. Ladders for $6, a miter saw for $11, a pressure washer for $10 - or a $20 a month membership, which allows you to check out any tool for no additional cost.

"A lot of people have to buy a tool one time and then it sits in their garage forever... It's so much easier and it's part of the sharing economy. Let's share," said Adrianne Ferree, the Founder and Executive Director of the Makers Hub.

Sherman Watson Jr. volunteers at a veteran's non-profit that builds beautification projects in Compton and added: "You don't need to store things. That alleviates a lot of ... money, planning time, going to the storage, getting it to the site and to the location to do the builds. This stops all of that."

But the tool library is only the beginning. The Makers Hub also offers workshops to teach people how to use the tools and how to save money on simple projects like clogged sinks or replacing toilets - simple repairs that can add value to a home and build confidence in the homeowner.

"When you have hands-on learning, the person who's doing the teaching can observe... oh the little tweak that needs to happen so that you can be successful in whatever you are doing... And then it makes DIY fun," Ferree said.

Armando Perea attended one of the workshops and pointed out: "If I could do it myself, why should I get a plumber? You know, I should basically just call him for something major."

Phyllis Ollison of Compton would agree after attending the same workshop.

"I'm gonna go home now and apply what I've learned in the class today and share it with my friends."

Getting the tools and learning how to use them is great, but preventive maintenance is also taught by volunteers like Joseph Vasquez, who owns Joseph & Sons Plumbing. He said that might be the most important tool of all.

"If you notice there's an issue inside your home, it's not going to go away, it's only going to get worse. My key and my goal is to teach you how to take care of it mostly on your own. And if you can't? Pick the right contractor to take care of it for you and make sure your investment is solid," he said.